Retractable Y-shaped foils, adjustable in three dimensions

Inspired by the appendages of the America's Cup foiling monohulls, these Y-shaped foils have a wingspan of over 5 metres. They are designed to generate powerful lift, increase power and offer a wide range of adjustments to optimise flight at every point of sail and in all conditions. Beyond their impressive size, these foils feature many unique innovations.

Revolutionary U-shaped rudders

These are probably the most visually striking innovations on the new Maxi Edmond de Rothschild. To fly high above rough seas while maintaining control, the team wanted very long rudders that would remain in contact with the water. The challenge is that longer rudders tend to flex under load, severely affecting steering and the efficiency of their lifting surfaces. A new geometry was needed to give these appendages maximum stiffness, resist cavitation and ultimately improve control of the boat and make better use of its power. The result is a set of U-shaped rudders over 4 metres long, a metre longer than those on Gitana 17. Their shape, reminiscent of a tripod or an inverted π, is only the visible part of what makes them so distinctive.

A daggerboard optimised to stabilise the boat and limit cavitation

With its wide span, the daggerboard resembles an aircraft tail assembly, with two adjustable flaps: one on the vertical section and the other on the horizontal section, the distinctive “manta-ray wing”. On Gitana 18, the innovation is to position this wing behind the vertical part of the appendage, rather than directly beneath it, to minimise flow disturbance and cavitation.

Rig: adjustable spreaders to control mainsail power while sailing

Gitana 18’s mast is 1.50 metres taller than its predecessor’s. The boom is also shorter, creating a more slender sail plan. The major innovation is a set of spreaders that can be adjusted while sailing to bend the mast fore and aft. Actuated by hydraulic rams, these spreaders can pivot through 35 degrees to adjust the bend in the middle of the mast. This unprecedented system allows the sailor to control mainsail power: adding depth in light winds to take off sooner, or flattening the sail to reduce power at high speed or in strong winds. Adjusting the depth, and therefore the power, of the mainsail can also save a solo sailor time and energy by reducing the need for risky manoeuvres or headsail changes.

Central hull:
an integrated, structural coachroof

The naval architects and Gitana design team wanted an exceptionally stiff, structurally robust platform. This applies both to the floats, which must withstand heavy loads from the foils and rudders, and to the central hull, which is subject to torsion. The enclosed coachroof is integrated into the hull and contributes to its structural strength. Inside, the cockpit brings all sail-handling controls together, with ergonomics shaped by many hours of design and development. The coachroof also stands out for the number and size of its windows. This configuration meets the visibility requirements of the Ultim class rules and gives sailors the best possible view to keep a visual watch.

09.10.2010

Advantage, Edmond de Rothschild Group.

The leaders’ combat has begun in the South of Spain. For the first day of competition in the Grand Prix of Almeria, the fleet of Extreme 40s has competed in seven races, two of which were launched outside the Spanish port. After winning two races and displaying great consistency and opportunism throughout, Yann Guichard and his men have the upper h…

par Gitana

The South isn’t what it was and the weather proved to be very indecisive this Saturday in Almeria. Indeed the sun and the gentle breeze at the start of the afternoon gave way, in the space of three hours, to overcast skies and a reinvigorated wind of in excess of 15 knots. The upshot of this was some mild sailing conditions, but there was enough breeze for the contact racing in the nautical stadium proposed by the organisers of the Extreme Sailing Series.

It was rather a familiar atmosphere in Spain then as, like last year, it was here in Almeria that the 2010 championship was decided. And as expected, the battle between the four pretenders to victory didn’t take long to heat up. Today all of the top four had a taste of the joys of victory and both Edmond de Rothschild Group and The Wave even had a double helping. On his return to shore Yann Guichard looked back at this successful introduction to proceedings: “I admit that I often have some difficulty getting into the swing of things at the start of a Grand Prix, but this first day has been a good one for my crew. More than today’s ranking, which is obviously good as we’re leading the fleet this evening, I’m really satisfied with the cohesion the crew were capable of. We were once again experimenting with a different configuration and everything onboard was clear despite that. I really enjoy sailing with Pierre, Thierry and Yves and that’s another of the secrets to our success.” Aware that the crew had made their presence felt by getting the upper hand today, the skipper of the Gitana Team remained clear and no less prudent: “We mustn’t get carried away, there’s still everything to play for! The level is really uniform and our most serious rivals have shown that they’re a force to be reckoned with. Added to that, it’s important not to lose track of what happened recently in Trapani. We started the Grand Prix there in the same way and ended up in 4th place… It’s worth remembering that we’ve still got three days of racing ahead of us, and we’ll have to take each race as it comes without losing sight of our goal.”

“We’ve performed well today but tomorrow promises to be difficult with conditions set to be both full-on and lively” warns Pierre Pennec, the mainsail trimmer aboard, whilst putting the boat to sleep after a full day of racing. Indeed the eight competing crews are likely to face a breezy day on Sunday. The deterioration in the weather conditions observed late this Saturday afternoon heralds the arrival of a front associated with a low pressure system. The latter should pass over the Andalusian city tonight with some strong wind forecast at the back of this disturbed system. “We know that some of our rivals take risks in the breeze so we mustn’t miss out on the day’s action” concluded Yann Guichard before returning to the hotel with the first drops of rain.

Provisional ranking for the Grand Prix of Almeria at the end of the first day (after seven races)
1. Edmond de Rothschild (Yann Guichard) – 45 points
2. Ecover Sailing Team (Mike Golding) – 41 points
3. The Wave, Muscat (Paul Campbell-James) – 38 points
4. Oman Sail Masirah (Loïck Peyron) – 38 points
5. Groupama 40 (Franck Cammas) – 28 points
6. Rumbo Almeria (Mitch Booth) – 23 points
7. Red Bull Extreme Sailing (Roman Hagara) – 21 points
8. Emirates Team New Zealand (Dean Barker) – 18 points

The crew of Edmond de Rothschild Group in Almeria
Yann Guichard – Skipper, helmsman / Pierre Pennec – Mainsail trimmer / Thierry Fouchier – Headsail trimmer / Yves Detrey – Bowman

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